Too many children are being imprisoned in Britain and demonised as criminals, said a report published yesterday by an influential UN body. In a document presenting more than 150 recommendations, and described by some campaign groups as "devastating", the body set out a detailed critique of Britain's legal and social shortcomings.

The Geneva-based UN Committee on the Rights of the Child welcomed positive work done by the Labour government since the last examination, in 2002, which included the Every Child Matters agenda, but issued its third successive call for Britain to ban corporal punishment.

The UK, it said, should prohibit, as a matter of priority, all corporal punishment in the family, including smacking.

The committee, which monitors states' compliance with the UN convention on the rights of the child, urged the government to ensure that corporal punishment was explicitly prohibited in schools.

Noting "with appreciation" Gordon Brown's higher spending on child poverty targets, the report said, however, that those increases were insufficient to eradicate poverty and tackle inequalities. A lack of consistent budgetary analysis has made it difficult to assess the impact on child-friendly policies, it added.

On raising the age of criminal responsibility, the report called on the government to follow international standards of justice and raise the level - at present set at eight years in Scotland, and 10 in England, but higher in most other developed nations. The committee expressed concern about the high number of children given custodial sentences and denied the statutory right to education.

The demonisation of young people was a prominent theme. The report regretted a "general climate of intolerance and negative public attitudes towards children" in the media and elsewhere. It suggested the government should "regulate children's participation in TV programmes, notably reality shows, so as to ensure [the shows] do not violate their rights".

During public hearings in Geneva, questions were raised about the TV series Supernanny. Responding, Channel 4 said yesterday it worked within Ofcom guidelines to safeguard children's welfare.

The UN document criticised ultrasound devices used to disperse youngsters, and asbos, both of which, it said, "may violate the rights of children to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly". Another worry was the national DNA database, which keeps the records of children whether or not they have offended. The report calls for stronger regulations for data protection.

Carolyne Willow, national coordinator of the Children's Rights Alliance for England, called the UN report devastating, and said: "Ministers must act on the recommendations without delay."

Carolyn Hamilton, director of the Children's Legal Centre, a national charity, said: "Too many vulnerable children are being left unable to exercise their right to education." Stephen Jakobi, convenor of the Just Umbrella group, called for the age of criminal responsibility to be immediately raised to 12.

The children's minister, Beverley Hughes, said: "We will give the comittee's recommendations the careful consideration they deserve. I look forward to publishing progress on our Children's Plan later in the year. This will set out ... strategies for tackling many of the issues the UN committee has highlighted."